jeffandnicole

Southwest doesn't participate in IRROPS.

joshua362

Could someone define IRROPS in a practical sense with respect to WN and the rest of the industry? I see it thrown a lot here. Does it simply mean "all hell is breaking loose" and first come, first served to get you where you are going? Thanks

beyondhere

In a practical sense, I'd expect if a flight is cancelled or seriously delayed on BWI-MDW, there will be another one more likely with seats open, since there is greater frequency on the route than PHL-MDW. If a nonstop is not available, Southwest will put one on BWI-CMH-MDW, or maybe even DCA-MDW since Southwest views BWI and DCA as co-terminal airports. Out of PHL, WN might have fewer options and might have to accomodate the pax a day later. I'd think about IRROPS like that on BWI-West Coast (over PHL-West Coast) on Southwest during a snowstorm month like January, than to just Chicago in the Fall.

With AA, it's a different case out of PHL, since it's hub-hub for AA.

Texas Booster

WN does not participate with other airlines to resolve IRROPs. There have been times where I paid walk up prices to another airline just to get out of town when WN couldn't help. No reimbursement except the cost of the unused WN ticket.

I have not found WN IRROPs to normally be a problem. If you are A+ or A list then they really do take care of you, and you can just saunter on down the jetway pulling the daggers from other pax out of your back, grabbing the last seat.

Normally if WN doesn't fly then no one flies.

Unless WN IT has all flown to Hawaii and the computers "crash".

catsfroggy1

I live in Baltimore and there is plenty of traffic in the tunnel and the bridges.

Putnik

Thanks for the replies everyone, I might try PHL on my next trip.

kstateinALB

I was using the term as "irregular operations", where if a Southwest BWI-MDW nonstop was cancelled and the next few had no availability, that passenger could then be accommodated on another Southwest BWI-MDW routing with a connection in STL/SDF/CLE/IND, etc. There's going to end up being more opportunities to get from BWI-MDW in case of irregular ops.

InkUnderNails

I have worked a lot in locations equidistant to PHL and BWI. I rent a car and usually stay overnight at the airport for an early return. My home airport is BNA so schedules are similar.

My choice is BWI. Not even close.

Putnik

My travel usual travel is a Morning (between 7 and 10 am) flight from MDW and return flight on Thursday afternoon (3 - 5 pm) so I would be going against both of the rush hours, except in the distance between Baltimore and BWI on Thursday afternoons.

pharpe

I have flow out of both of these airports extensively. If the commute is the same I would choose BWI without question. This is assuming your primary goal is to get in/out on time.

Philly has some of the worst delays of any airport I've traveled to including O Hare and LaGuardia. Philly only has 4 runways for over 400k flights a day. It's ok as long as the weather is good. However, when it gets windy, they require extra time between takeoffs and everything just stacks up. You might board on time but could sit in line for take off for hours. I didn't chart this, but in the year of fly there every week, I recall my Thursday evening flight out was delayed an hour or more ~70% of the time.

BWI is not as bad. They have less than 250k flights a day and 3 runways. Of course they still get delays but not as often and consistent as PHY.

Food wise it's a wash in my book. My goal is not to have to be in the airport enough to eat many meals there anyway.

BOSstorageguy

I'll agree with the delays, but 400,000 is the airport operations for one year at PHL. That averages to just less than 1200 flights a day. They would need far more than 4 runways for 400,000 flights a day. BWI, has probably around 800 flights a day.

SWSNA

If you're checking luggage, my experience is that baggage claim at BWI is prone to problems (I have +/- 50 flights there). Definitely the worst station I've seen for that - lots of long waits, and the occasional temporarily lost bag. I've only flow PHL a couple times, so YMMV.

beyondhere

Besides Cecil County, which locations are equidistant? Unless maybe central DE or Lancaster but these are outskirt areas to both BWI and PHL.